Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-04-06
GARDEN PARTIES IN JAPAN.
A Royal Reception Under the Trees
Mid Luxuriaut Flowers.

The grand chords of the Imperial
anthem announces the arrival Of the
Emperor and Empress, and after the
presentation of the Diplomatic Corps
the imperial party passes around the
garden to admire the chrysanthemumS
a their purple and red silk tents. The
princesses and court ladies follow the
Empress in a brilliant file, and as Shugo
and Kogo pass by every one bows low.
The Emperor is dark and his features
are heavy and irregular, but there is
such dignity and majesty in his carriage
and manner that he gives every one
little feeling of awe. His uniform is a
snowy and handsome one, the white
cloth trousers having broad stripes of
gold chrySanthemumS down each side
and the black coat almost covered with
embroidery in chrysanthemums. Heavy
gold epaulettes, white-plumed chapeau
and gold-mounted sword complete the
Emperor's full dress uniform.
Tho last time the Empress or the
Kogo, as the Japanese call the Sover-
eIgn's wife, appeared at a garden party
in the old court dress, her loose robe,
with long square sleeves, was of heavy
amethyst-colored silk, brocaded in cir
cles of white, within which was the N.Y.
thical kfria in gold. This long outer
robe fell loosely without the broad sash,
or OBJ. Of the ordinary dress. 1t was
crossed in surplice at the neck, and
falling open from the waist disclosed
full petticoat or divided skirt Of bright
scarlet silk. Red slippers were worn
with this dress, and in the surplice neck
of the robe fold after fold of fine white
silk was laid until it was closed high up
under the chin. Her blue-black hair
was brushed from the forehead, and
stiffened out like halo around the face,
fell in long plait, tied at intervals
with strips of white paper. Except for
IA jeweled ornament on the forehead, the
Empress toilette did not differ in kind
from that worn by the princess and
court ladies. The fine brocades of their
robes have been made for generations
by one family of silk weavers in Kioto,
and the rich and delicate tints and the
glitter of gold and silver threads tell
best in such garden background. Each
woman was an ideal figure and seemed
to have stepped from some old embroid-
cry picture or Satsuma jar; and when
they gathered about the central figure
Of the Empress the coloring effect was
dazzling and Kaleidoscope.
The Iefreshment tent was decorated
with chrysanthemums everywhere, and
the long central table was set with
many ornamental dishes and trophies.
The guests SIT at little tables along its
side, and at the head the imperial cou-
pie sat at table alone, with the princes
and court ladies ranged in a semi-circle
back of them. The palace porcelain is
decorated with chrySanthemums and
the crystal engraved with the same I'M
perial flower. At the breakfast given
at the palace on the Emperor birthday
each guest carries away with him the
thin egg-shell sake cup in which he
drank the sovereign's health. These
are the souvenirs that are priced in GER
lmic collections.
When the Emperor rand Empress rose,
the band again played the imperial an
them, and all followed in order of rank
back to the palace. That procession,
descending the slopes and winding past
the mirror Lakes, frightened by sunset
iglit, was picture and dream.
That WAS when the Empress wore the
I'D court dress. This year the reyolu-
ion had come, and the French dress
makers tricked out the kogo and her
aides in the latest denominations, and |
he last bit of the old poetry and pictur-
of court life vanquiShed. In
stead of the quaint Oriental figure of
,ther chrysanthemum seasons, there
vas little woman in q ruby velvet !
Walking dress, with gray velvet bon !
let, long gloves and lace parasOl. /;
Behind her walked her ladies in black |
md dark silk gowns, with uncomfort-
Ible bonnet strings under their chins,
md the misery of high necks, whale
bones, and heavy skirts written pathet-
cally on their faces. A stiffness and |
hill as of new surroundings and strange /
Ways took away the joyous character of
he day.
The person of the Empress being
acred the corps of tailors and dress
makers in court employ fit her gowns to
he wife of one of the higher mobiles
whose figure is the same. Dozens of
lresses have been imported and dozens
made to take the places of the beautiful
Id robes. \ tiara and necklace of
diamonds have been purchased and
lew master of ceremonies brought from
Berlin to introduce the etiquette of the
court, and now progress and
he PhilistiDes, the stereotyped and con-
reign, and the last of old
apan fades into tradition.